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FREE MILITARY SCHOOL 

FOR APPLICANTS FOR COMMANDS OF 

COLORED TROOPS, 

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X7o, 1210 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 


ESTABLISHED BY 

" ^ SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE FOR RECRUITIIIS COLORED REGIMENTS. 

JOHN H. TAGGART, 


i^Late Colonel 12th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves, 


PRECEPTOR. 


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PHILADELPHIA: 

KING & BAIRD, PRINTERS, No. 607 SANSOM STREET. 

1863. 

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OFFICERS OF COLORED TROOPS. 


When the Government adopted the policy of 
organizing colored troops, it constituted a. Board of 
Examiners, whose duty it is to examine all persons, 
whatever their rank, who make application for com¬ 
missions in that branch of the public service. Major- 
General SILAS CASEY is the permanent President 
of the Board. The other members of the Board, con¬ 
sisting of two Colonels, one Lieutenant-Colonel, one 
Surgeon, and one Lieutenant, who is ex officio the Re¬ 
corder, are changed from time to time, according to the 
exigencies of the public service, but the President being 
permanent, the utmost regularity and uniformity of ex¬ 
amination and decision are secured. 

Up to the present date, one thousand and fifty-one 
applicants have been examined; of these, five hundred 
and sixty have been passed, and four hundred and 
ninety-one rejected. 

The applicants are first examined in Infantry tactics, 
Army Regulations, and in regard to their general infor¬ 
mation. They are then turned over to the Surgeon for 
physical examination. If found capable, they are recom¬ 
mended to the War Department, to be appointed to 
such positions as they have respectively been adjudged 
competent to fill. Every candidate stands upon his 
merits—the most obscure corporal or private stands an 
equal chance with the most favored and influential 
citizen. No recommendations, however high, are re- 




4 


garded as any compensation for lack of qualifications, 
and while the best testimonials that can be offered are 
the evidence of faithful and competent military service 
in the field, it is not to he understood that actual expe¬ 
rience in the service is an indispensable pre-requisite. 
A large number of the successful applicants have had 
no such experience, having but recently left the school, 
the college, the desk, farm or workshop, and by a few 
weeks’ diligent study of the elementary books, fitted 
themselves for command, as Lieutenants or Captains, 
and in some instances as Majors and Lieutenant- 
Colonels. 

THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED. 

First, the applicant must he physically sound , in 
order that he may endure the required service, and not 
necessarily fail in the discharge of the duties of his 
position, and soon become a pensioner upon the bounty 
of the Government, without the possibility of equivalent 
service. 

If a Lieutenant , he should understand and be able 
to explain the elementary principles laid down in 
Casey’s Infantry Tactics, as found in the school of the 
“Soldier” and “Company.” He should comprehend 
the duties of sentinels, guards, &c., as contained in the 
Army Regulations. He should know all about “ Muster 
for Pay,” “Muster and Pay Rolls,” “Descriptive List,” 
and how to keep “Company books.” And withal, 
should have at least such education as can usually be 
obtained at a common school. The range of study for 
this grade is exceedingly moderate, and the position 
is attainable by any bright young man having a fair 
common school education. 




5 

If a Captain , lie must possess all the qualifications 
prescribed for a Lieutenant, but must be more thoroughly 
posted, and should know something of battalion move¬ 
ments, and have a better general education. 

A Field Officer is examined as closely, in regard to 
elementary principles, as Captain or Lieutenant, and is 
set down for the position of Major, Lieut.-Colonel, or 
Colonel, according as he shall show himself addition¬ 
ally qualified for the superior position desired. A field 
officer should, in addition to his own peculiar duties, 
understand the duties of line officers, and be able to 
instruct them, if deficient. 

The Colonel of a Regiment should be very superior. 
He should be able to detect, instantly, the errors of all 
officers under him ; should be able to impart instruction 
to all, and to decide correctly on the instant all questions 
referred to him. These troops have no knowledge of 
arms , and no acquaintance with the duties of the soldier , 
and unless well officered the whole experiment will prove 
worse than a failure. 

No talents, no zeal, no sympathy for the colored race, 
unless attended with military knowledge, and power to 
command men in battle, can avail; and no amount of 
pretence or number of testimonials of influential friends 
will answer the purpose; the applicant must give reason¬ 
able evidence of his ability to command. If pretence 
■without merit, or zeal without knowledge, or mere 
recommendations of personal and political friends would 
be sufficient evidence of fitness to command, an ex¬ 
amination would be an idle and useless ceremony. It 
is the obvious duty of the Board of Examiners to select 
the best officers possible from those who come before it. 


6 


THE UKGENT NEED OF OFFICEES. 

Now, that it has become the fixed policy of the 
Government to use Colored Troops to a large extent, 
its efforts to organize regiments are seriously hampered 
by the want of competent officers to train and command 
them. It is seen that about forty-seven per cent, of the 
applicants for command have been rejected for lack of 
knowledge. Of these three hundred and seventy-two 
were officers, privates or non-commissioned officers from 
the army, and most of this particular class and very 
many others from civil life would have passed the board 
and obtained commissions, if they had, under an efficient 
teacher, devoted a few weeks to the study of the prin¬ 
ciples and details laid down in the Books on Tactics 
and Army Regulations. 

The rejection of so large a proportion of the applicants, 
particularly of so many earnest and brave soldiers who 
have stood the shock of battle, has doubtless deterred 
numbers from offering themselves for examination, and 
it is feared that a general but unjust impression has been 
made, both in the army and in the public mind, that 
the examination by the board is too severe, and that 
few, but those who have enjoyed a collegiate education, 
or have actually commanded troops in the field with 
credit, can pass the Board. 

Nothing could be further from the fact. Whilst the 
Board properly insists, that the applicant must show true 
knowledge of the principles of tactics and capacity to 
command men and take good $ire of them , and whilst 
it inflexibly rejects all who fall short in these essentials, 


the Board deplores the stern necessity which compels it 
to reject good men, particularly soldiers whose deficien¬ 
cies might be overcome by a few weeks careful prepar¬ 
ation. With the knowledge of these facts, and in order 
to meet the increased demands for officers to command 
colored troops, The Philadelphia Supervisory Committee 
for Recruiting Colored Regiments, at the suggestion of 
the Board of Examiners at Washington, has established 
a Free School for Military Tactics, in their Building, 
No. 1210 Chestnut street. The committee has secured 
the services of a well recommended and experienced 
officer, competent to faithfully instruct and prepare 
applicants for examination. The school is amply sup¬ 
plied with books and everything necessary to its thorough 
organization. The Committee invites young men in 
civil life, who are 'physically sounds and especially pri¬ 
vates, and non-commissioned officers in service who 
may aspire to command colored soldiers, to avail them¬ 
selves of the facilities which this free military school 
offers. 

Camp William Penn, the largest camp existing for 
the organization and disciplining of Colored Troops, is 
in the immediate vicinity of the city, of easy access at 
low rates of fare. Arrangements have been made with 
Colonel Wagner, Post Commander, by which students 
of this school, upon the recommendation of the pre¬ 
ceptor, will be allowed to sojourn temporarily at the 
camps and exercise the functions of officers, in assisting 
to drill and train the Regiments that may be organizing 
there. 

The superior comforts and cheapness of living, re¬ 
markable in Philadelphia, offer special attraction to all 
who may seek the advantages of the school, and es- 


8 


pecially to those of moderate means. Good board can 
be had from $3.50 to $5 per week. 

The Committee trusts that its efforts by means of a 
military school to provide what the country so urgently 
needs at the present time, namely, applicants competent 
to be officers in the colored regiments, will be hand¬ 
somely responded to by the spirited young men of the 
country—by those in the army, as well as those in civil 
life, and that it may be able to speedily furnish the 
Board of Examiners a sufficient number of applicants 
well-grounded in the knowledge of tactics, and other¬ 
wise fitted to command troops, who may pass examina¬ 
tion and thus largely relieve the War Department from 
the great pressure now existing for officers to organize 
and train the hosts of colored men now seeking to enter 
the service of their country. 

THOMAS WEBSTER, 

Chairman. 

CADWALADER BIDDLE, 

Secretary . 

Head-Quarters of Supervisory Committee ) 
for Recruiting Colored Regiments. j 

Philadelphia, December 26th, 1863. 


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Hints to applicants for admission to the Free Military School 
established by the 

PHILADELPHIA SUPEEYISOET COMMITTEE FOE 
EECEUITING COLOEED TEOOPS. 

I. Each applicant must apply to the committee for 
admission, by letter of his own composition and written 
by himself, and he must submit testimonials of general 
good character, and receive an affirmative reply before 
he can be admitted to the School. 

II. No one (unless a soldier having experience in 
the field, and able to read and write, and understand¬ 
ing the primary rules of arithmetic,) should make 
application, unless he has had a good common school 
education, is familiar with arithmetic as far as fractions 
—vulgar and decimal, and has some knowledge of 
geography, and the outlines of history—ancient and 
modern. 

III. Applicants having a superior general education, 
but without knowledge of tactics and army regulations, 
are informed that it is probable that the Board at 
Washington, after examining them on tactics, will 
question them in the various branches of knowledge 
they have studied, with the view of ascertaining the 
extent of their capacity to acquire and retain knowl¬ 
edge, and with a view of recommending them for the 
highest rank that their proficiency in tactics will 
justify. 


10 


IV. As soon as the students, in the judgment of 
the preceptor, are likely to pass a favorable examina¬ 
tion, application will be made for permission for them 
to appear before the Board, and whilst waiting for 
such permission, students will be sent to Camp Wm. 
Penn, to temporarily exercise the functions of officers 
of Colored Troops. 

V. The Committee will do all in its power to secure 
an early examination by the Board at Washington, of 
such Students as the preceptor shall recommend, and 
in every other way exert itself to save the Students 
their time and expenses. 

VI. Persons having, in their own judgment, such 
proficiency in tactics, army regulations, and general 
education, as will enable them to pass a favorable 
examination, may if they desire it have a preliminary 
examination by the preceptor, and if his opinion is 
favorable, and they have certificates of general good 
character, they will be immediately recommended for 
examinations for command, or, if the preceptor should 
not pass favorably on them, they may enter the School 
and acquire the requisite knowledge. The attention 
of privates and non-commissioned officers of the army is 
specially invited to this. 

VII. It should be distinctly understood, that the 
instruction, use of books, maps, blocks, and opportuni¬ 
ties of camp experience, are all gratuitous; all personal 
expenses, including traveling hither, board, and trans¬ 
portation to and from Washington, by those who may 
be recommended, and all other expenses, must be de¬ 
frayed by the students themselves. 


JL6~' 


11 

VIII. The following extract from a private letter 
dated 21st December, from one of the Board to a 
member of the Supervisory Committee, is given as a 
general hint: “There is evident falling off in candi¬ 
dates—that is, while the numbers increase the material 
declines in quality—we send away some, perhaps 
many, who if they had a few days well directed study 
under a good tutor, would make good officers. But 
certain things must be known by all officers before 
they can be trusted with troops. Good intentions are 
very well as far as they go, but we must have good 
intentions combined with knowledge, and that knowl¬ 
edge must embrace certain fundamentals. I hope you 
will stand as a high wall to keep out all drones, all 
nincompoops, all mere snivelers, and send us your 
good, wide-awake, clear-headed young men of the true 
ring—the best material offered for line officers is of 
the non-commissioned officers in the army—they as a 
class are superior to the commissioned officers of the 
army.” 


The following is taken from Order of War Depart¬ 
ment establishing the Board of Examination: 

4. Each applicant shall be subjected to a fair, but 
rigorous examination, as to physical, mental and moral 
fitness to command troops. 

5. The Board shall specify for what grade of commis¬ 
sions the several applicants are fit; and shall also 
classify and number them according to merit or pro¬ 
ficiency. 




12 


6. Appointments to each grade shall only be made 
from the candidates approved by the Board, and in the 

order of merit recommended by it. 

+ 

7. The Beport of the BoaYd, if adverse, shall be 
conclusive; and no person rejected by it, shall be re¬ 
examined. 


ANALYSIS OF THE EXAMINATION 0? APPLICANTS FOE COM¬ 
MAND OF COLOEED TEOOPS, before the EOAED at WASHINGTON. 


Sank. 

No. examined. 

NO. ACCEI 

Colonel. 

TED AND FOB 

Lt. Colonel. 

WHAT 

Major 

RANK I 

Capt. 

IECOMM 

IstLt. 

ENDED 

2d Lt. 

No. 

rejected. 

Colonel, . . . 

4 - 



2 




2 

Lt.-Colonel,. 

1 





1 



Major, . . . . 

7 

1 

3 

1 

1 



1 

Captain, . . 

52 

1 

5 

5 

15 

5 

3 

18 

1st Lienten’t, 

35 

2 


4 

4 

5 

5 

15 

2nd do 

18 




5 

2 

3 

8 

Sergeant, . . 

304 


1 


30 

45 

83 

145 

Corporal, . . 

139 




12 

29 

43 

55 

Private, . . . 

222 




11 

25 

58 

128 

Citizens, . . 

293 

1 

2 

13 

33 

40 

66 

138 

Total, . . . 

1,075 

5 

11 

25 

111 

152 

261 

510 


Washington, D. C , December 26, 1S63. 


NOTE. 

When the reader has perused this pamphlet 
he is requested to circulate it, in such a manner as will 
best bring the school to the notice of those who desire to 
command COLORED TROOPS. 














































































































































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_ 3RARY OF CONGRESS 


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